Despite only premiering today, the series has already attracted criticism from some, who feel that Gervais and Merchant are simply courting controversy by focussing their new series – a follow-up to The Office and Extras – on Warwick and his ‘Dwarfs for Hire’ agency.

Rosamund disagrees: ‘I never got the impression that Warwick was getting the piss taken out of him,’ she told Metro.co.uk. ‘Warwick was included in the joke.

Rosamund poses with her co-stars, including Life’s Too Short creators Gervais and Merchant (Picture: BBC)

‘It was all very much about the whole piece and all of us as an ensemble. Warwick is a dwarf but he’s still a person and it wasn’t a nasty joke; it was generally about Warwick and his agency.’The 22-year-old actress, who is best known for her well-loved character Smell in This is England , insists that Gervais isn’t the controversy-chaser some perceive him to be.

‘It’s not trying to be controversial,’ she continued. ‘It’s just based on a real situation and anyway, I think it was Warwick who went to Ricky with the original idea.

‘It’s not chasing controversy; it’s making light of a real-life situation. It’s just entertainment. A bit of fun.

Rosamund, who trained at the Television Workshop in Nottingham, can’t speak highly enough of her experience with Gervais and Merchant.

‘It was a mind boggling experience – like a lucid dream,’ says Hanson.’I was saying my lines one day and Stephen was like, “Imagine a chimp on a skateboard going past as you’re talking to Warwick.”

‘So from then on, I was absolutely in stitches because I was just imagining a chimp on a skateboard. I’ve never laughed so much in my entire working life as an actress. It was brilliant – so funny.’They’re great – they’re a great team.’

Whether or not audiences and critics will agree with Rosamund remains to be seen, with Gervais’ tricky third series getting its debut tonight as the critical eyes of comedy fans look on.